If this season turns out how we all fear

[Moonshadow 16,367]

As much as many here dislike Vlad and his lieutenants, it could easily be argued they have given Melbourne more than enough handouts and chances to rise up the ladder over the last 7 years without turning a complete blind eye to some pretty obvious indiscretions, eg, t@nking. Vlad was essentially correct, we haven't stood for anything in a long time. If it wasn't for the TV rights deal requiring 18 teams, we'd probably be gone or moved elsewhere by now. A new CEO at the helm of the AFL, perhaps one with less sympathetic views, might want to put his/her stamp on the competition by further changing the 'national' game. Tassie Demons and/or Canberra Bulldogs might not be so far fetched. We are hanging on because of generous AFL handouts and pokie revenue. Lose one of these and we are stuffed.

[Demon trucker 1,778]

Don't be short sighted moon vlad did not turn a blind eye to anything, he let the giants go after scully and what did he do when they use scully's father and gave him a job, he said it was a master plan, no he did not turn blind eye to tanking, he set the rules with carlton when they tankes, also withmeth coke, then he changed the rules years latter, how is that turning a blind eye dragging us through the mad, and that has a lot to do with the mental health of the playing group.

[deegirl 1,326]

I am beyond angry with this footy club. There has been zero accountability for the last seven years administration, and an unwillingness to be honest about what went wrong.

The 186 loss to Geelong was the moment and as a footy club we've never recovered from it. I put that firmly at the feet of the then admin of the club and we've since seen ZERO accountability for the way things were managed.

It's an awful, not pleasant truth, but through out Jim Stynes illness the admin allowed a leadership vacuum to happen, which gave people like Schwab and Connolly free reign. We're still feeling the after effects.

This may make me extremely unpopular on is forum but for the club to move on there needs to be transparency about what happened in the lead up to 186 - those events wrecked the mindset of the playing list. This ruined list was then handed to crazy Mark Neeld. The rest is history.

[Norm Smith's Curse 2,078]

Its the new emblem - mywife always tells me we;ve been terrible ever sense we adopted it LOL

[Sir Why You Little 34,763]

I am beyond angry with this footy club. There has been zero accountability for the last seven years administration, and an unwillingness to be honest about what went wrong.

The 186 loss to Geelong was the moment and as a footy club we've never recovered from it. I put that firmly at the feet of the then admin of the club and we've since seen ZERO accountability for the way things were managed.

It's an awful, not pleasant truth, but through out Jim Stynes illness the admin allowed a leadership vacuum to happen, which gave people like Schwab and Connolly free reign. We're still feeling the after effects.

This may make me extremely unpopular on is forum but for the club to move on there needs to be transparency about what happened in the lead up to 186 - those events wrecked the mindset of the playing list. This ruined list was then handed to crazy Mark Neeld. The rest is history.

100% agree. Have always thought this.

Schwab keeping his job after that day killed the playing group.

It is still comatozed to this day.

[Ted Lasso 17,039]

100% agree. Have always thought this.

Schwab keeping his job after that day killed the playing group.

It is still comatozed to this day.

I was very surprised we sacked Bailey that day, we were still in contention for finals before that games started, if we sacked Schwab instead of Bailey who knows where we'd be today

[Moonshadow 16,367]

I was very surprised we sacked Bailey that day, we were still in contention for finals before that games started, if we sacked Schwab instead of Bailey who knows where we'd be today

Hindsight is a wonderful thing Sassy. I'll take a stab and say on the bottom of the ladder.

[Ted Lasso 17,039]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing Sassy. I'll take a stab and say on the bottom of the ladder.

I agree, the problems are clearly so much deeper than any one person, it's going to be a long few years.

[Return to Glory 7,787]

Perhaps we could change Demonland to Whining Defeatest Soft C#ck Land

[Demon Disciple 11,089]

100% agree. Have always thought this.

Schwab keeping his job after that day killed the playing group.

It is still comatozed to this day.

Sure Schwab and Connolly really did a number on us, but come on, the on-field performances need to be held accountable by those who can affect it. We have a whole new coaching group in place, the only other thing that can change is the one thing that seems to have been held blameless throughout this whole deplorable affair (the playing list).

We need to seriously turnover a quarter of our list (bare minimum) at the end of this year, and do the same for the next 3-4 years. Drop Grimes and keep Trengove in the 2's until they earn a re-call after several consecutive good performances, and put it in no uncertain terms that their careers are on the line.

If i was the coach, i would tell a good 10-15 players (who we all know should be de-listed) that come years end, their careers at the MFC are over unless they can prove otherwise.

We have few untouchables, but we'd need to plead with them to sign contract extensions and pay above market value.

The rest should be told that their future's at the MFC cannot be guaranteed, and those who want out will be put on the trade table, whilst those who may want to stay will still be shopped.

I'm so f&$@ing sick and tired of our playing group as a whole, putting in less than their all just about every week. For too long, they have gotten away with it. Previous management were too busy trying to run their own personal agendas to give a [censored] about it.

With competent management and coaching now in place (i hope), we need to get ruthless, not nurturing little boys. This is a man's game, time to step up or ship out.

I'd rather 18 Jack Viney's over 18 Jack Watts's any day of the week, because then i'd know that each loss would not only hurt, but it would be unacceptable. And something might actually be done about it.

[Guest]

I was very surprised we sacked Bailey that day, we were still in contention for finals before that games started, if we sacked Schwab instead of Bailey who knows where we'd be today

I don't know if Bails was the bloke who was going to take us to the place where we needed to be but we should have let him coach out the year and then make a decision.The reversal of the Schwab sacking was the killer though. If Bails had been sacked and Schwab went with him then at least the group could look at the board and say it wasn't taking sides. When they reinstated Schwab, that sent a pretty powerful message.

HOWEVER....

Cameron Schwab is gone. Chris Connolly is gone. Mark Neeld is gone. Don McLardy is gone.We can't keep condemning them forever and they have been held accountable (all but one was sacked and he stood down). It's not like we can rehire them (or in Don's case, reelect him) and fire them all again.

It's a bit bloody hard to wear that these blokes are still influencing the club. They did damage but as Roosy said, the past is now irrelevant. We need to move on.

I agree that one of the reasons that the playing group is a shambles is because of how lackluster admin. has been. However, no one could say that PJ hasn't done a might job in wrapping up sponsors considering the poo results we have put on the scoreboard. The only gripe I have with our two main off field leaders (Roos and Jackson) is that I wish they would commit for longer.

[dee-luded 2,958]

This may sound stupid however it has been done before... If this year turns out how we fear it may be is it worth starting compeltely fresh and rebranding the club under a different name ?? A completely fresh start may be the change we need, new name new colours and new feel about the club.

change the song to one with some fight & some comradeship in it. not about flags.

about fighting side by side for a cause.

[Beetle 4,317]

change the song to one with some fight & some comradeship in it. not about flags.

about fighting side by side for a cause.

Yep...that should do it.

[Sir Why You Little 34,763]

Sure Schwab and Connolly really did a number on us, but come on, the on-field performances need to be held accountable by those who can affect it. We have a whole new coaching group in place, the only other thing that can change is the one thing that seems to have been held blameless throughout this whole deplorable affair (the playing list).

We need to seriously turnover a quarter of our list (bare minimum) at the end of this year, and do the same for the next 3-4 years. Drop Grimes and keep Trengove in the 2's until they earn a re-call after several consecutive good performances, and put it in no uncertain terms that their careers are on the line.

If i was the coach, i would tell a good 10-15 players (who we all know should be de-listed) that come years end, their careers at the MFC are over unless they can prove otherwise.

We have few untouchables, but we'd need to plead with them to sign contract extensions and pay above market value.

The rest should be told that their future's at the MFC cannot be guaranteed, and those who want out will be put on the trade table, whilst those who may want to stay will still be shopped.

I'm so f&$@ing sick and tired of our playing group as a whole, putting in less than their all just about every week. For too long, they have gotten away with it. Previous management were too busy trying to run their own personal agendas to give a [censored] about it.

With competent management and coaching now in place (i hope), we need to get ruthless, not nurturing little boys. This is a man's game, time to step up or ship out.

I'd rather 18 Jack Viney's over 18 Jack Watts's any day of the week, because then i'd know that each loss would not only hurt, but it would be unacceptable. And something might actually be done about it.

DD it was Schwab's template that got us this list of skinny soft players. He was right into the recruiting as well as being a CEO and a complete failure....

[Sir Why You Little 34,763]

I was very surprised we sacked Bailey that day, we were still in contention for finals before that games started, if we sacked Schwab instead of Bailey who knows where we'd be today

Bailey had to go. He had lost his position of teacher after 186. But i felt dreadfully sorry for him.

CS should have been frog marched out a back door blindfolded.

This rabble is his doing.

Enjoy your payout Cam. Be so proud of what you have done.

[Pennant St Dee 11,404]

DD it was Schwab's template that got us this list of skinny soft players. He was right into the recruiting as well as being a CEO and a complete failure....

and that is a big big part of the problem,

[Sir Why You Little 34,763]

and that is a big big part of the problem,

Yes it is PSD...He thought he knew it all

[Guest]

Bailey had to go. He had lost his position of teacher after 186. But i felt dreadfully sorry for him.

CS should have been frog marched out a back door blindfolded.

This rabble is his doing.

Enjoy your payout Cam. Be so proud of what you have done.

Fully agree WYL on the number that Schwab and Connolly did on us.

Unfortunately, all we can do is fume a bit and move on. Nothing we can do to him now besides laughing at the Marios from Doncaster of this world when they ring up SEN and take him to task.

While I agree that 186 was a pivotal moment in the development of the club, most of the villains in that piece are gone and have been held accountable.

[Sir Why You Little 34,763]

Fully agree WYL on the number that Schwab and Connolly did on us.

Unfortunately, all we can do is fume a bit and move on. Nothing we can do to him now besides laughing at the Marios from Doncaster of this world when they ring up SEN and take him to task.

While I agree that 186 was a pivotal moment in the development of the club, most of the villains in that piece are gone and have been held accountable.

A lot of those scarred players are still on the list though Colin. They are not going to make it.

[chookrat 3,778]

What if we swap the bottom half of our list with the bottom half of the this years premiers list? Or alternatively a mid season trade for our 22 worst players with Essendons 6 worst sanctioned players + their 16 worst players who dont recieve sanctions. This would allow Essendon to field a side for the rest of the season while "injecting" some winning culture into our side.

[Carrot Top 947]

change the song to one with some fight & some comradeship in it. not about flags.

about fighting side by side for a cause.

A Grand Old Flag is playing as the team is ready to run out on the ground.

"Oh not that song again. I'm not going to try today" says one.

"Yeah, me either" says another. "I hate songs that say the world flag. It reminds me of the Queen"

"Me too!"

"I want to go home"

"How come Trenners gets the week off and doesn't have to listen to this crap?"

But suddenly the song is changed from the boring flag one to a rousing rendition of L'Internationale

"Hey I don't even speak French but now I want to win games"

"Me too. And I want to overthrow the AFL!"

"Death to all those with a greater percentage than us!"

"I love the red we have on our jumpers!"

And the team runs out - right through the change room wall - defeating Hawthorn by 364 points, and begins a 37 year winning streak that is only ended because the AFL disbands when all other teams are unwilling to play the 'team that wears the red socks'.

Edited April 6, 2014 by Carrot Top

[Guest]

A lot of those scarred players are still on the list though Colin. They are not going to make it.

Very true. Honestly, and I said this last year, I find it a bit hard to swallow on a personal level that the shenanigans of 2009-2011 were so monumental that the players are still smarting years later. FFS, Essendon went through an even bigger s***storm last year but you don't see them hurt and whinging.

However, the rational side of me says whose fault it is isbnow irrelevant. As you said, they just aren't going to make it. Hence, why we should just face up to reality and just say we put 8 years work into these blokes for 0 reward, view ourselves as being at a 2012 GWS/Gold Coast level of development and move from there.

Edited April 6, 2014 by Colin B. Flaubert

[John Crow Batty 8,291]

FYI everyone,

Goals average so far for each game; 5.666 666 666 666 666 7

Goals average per each quarter; 1.416 666 666 666 666 7

[Sir Why You Little 34,763]

Very true. Honestly, and I said this last year, I find it a bit hard to swallow on a personal level that the shenanigans of 2009-2011 were so monumental that the players are still smarting years later. FFS, Essendon went through an even bigger s***storm last year but you don't see them hurt and whinging.

However, the rational side of me says whose fault it is now irrelevant. As you said, they just aren't going to make it. Hence, why we should just face up to reality and just say we put 8 years work into these blokes for 0 reward, view ourselves as being at a 2012 GWS/Gold Coast level of development and move from there.

you are right Colin. But Essendon have won multiple flags in colour. We haven't. MFC flags are all in B & W. Our culture is that old.

I said a few years back that all players had to be moved on from 186 before we could move forward. I stand by that except for Lynden Dunn.

He was the only one really angry that day...

Edited April 6, 2014 by why you little

[Guest]

you are right Colin. But Essendon have won multiple flags in colour. We haven't. MFC flags are all in B & W. Our culture is that old.

I said a few years back that all players had to be moved on from 186 would have to go before we could move forward. I stand by that except for Lynden Dunn.

He was the only one really angry that day...

And Nate Jones?